Red Hood: The Lost Days #2Review

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Judd Winick grants Jason Todd's resurrection some legitimacy.

By Dan Phillips

Editor's Note: We're always experimenting with our content here at IGN Comics, and we've recently introduced a second style of review we're calling a "Quick Take." These shorter reviews allow us to check in on titles that we've recently explored at length or acknowledge series that might not be at the forefront of reader interest. This is our way of attempting to keep our volume and variety of content up while still focusing our attention on what you care about the most. As always, your feedback is welcome.

Red Hood: The Lost Days almost reads like Judd Winick's apology for explaining Jason Todd's resurrection with Superboy Prime's now infamous punch, surely one of the silliest and most contrived story devices in the history of a genre known for its silly and contrived story devices. It's as if Winick is consciously going back to show fans how he would have done it had he and DC not chosen to integrate Jason's return with Infinite Crisis, granting the story all the emotion, logic and reality it lacked the first time around. The worse thing that can be said about this series is that it's coming four years too late. If this story had taken the place of the unfortunate Batman Annual #25, would we have had to suffer through all the bad Jason Todd misadventures that followed in its wake? Maybe not.

Like the mini-series' debut issue, part two keeps its feet firmly grounded in reality, neglecting to mention the force that brought the former Robin back from the dead. It even goes a step further, using Jason's disinterest in the cause of his resurrection to powerfully highlight his pathological obsession with Batman. Once again, Talia and Ra's Al Ghul steal every scene they're in, as Winick does wonders with their turbulent relationship. The art, handled by both Pablo Raimondi and Cliff Richards, isn't nearly as impressive as the writing, but it does enough to call Red Hood: The Lost Days a success.